Hibs boss delivers verdict on postponed County clash

County CEO says they did everything right

Victoria Park failed a pitch inspection.

Hibs boss Nick Montgomery says his boys were raring and ready to go in the mud of Dingwall before today’s call-off. And, while getting an afternoon off might help energy levels ahead of the festive encounter with Hearts, he insists the players would much rather have played a game than spent the afternoon kicking their heels on the long journey home.

Ross County’s Victoria Park pitch failed a 10 am pitch inspection this morning, with standing water leading the referee to declare the surface unplayable. Speaking as the team bus headed back down the A9, Montgomery voiced his frustration that the match prep – including travelling up to the Highlands and staying overnight yesterday – had come to nothing.

The Yorkshireman, who had been looking to regain some momentum ahead of Wednesday night’s derby at Easter Road, said: “We go back now and train tomorrow, adapt the session a little bit. But the boys are really disappointed because they were ready for the game.

“Playing the game today on a heavy pitch, you never know what the outcome would have been. So yeah, we should be fresh (for the derby). But the boys want to play games, they wanted to get it done today.

“We do have a small squad, still have quite a thin squad. So we prepare as well as we can.

“We had our breakfast this morning and knew the rain had been pretty heavy through the night. Then we got a notification that the referee was going to go and inspect the pitch at ten o’clock.

“To be honest, it already sounded like there was a bit of water in one of the goal mouths, which was an issue. Around nine thirty, we heard about the pitch inspection.

“Obviously it’s disappointing because you do the preparation, the travel and the overnight stay. But that’s out of our control. As much as we’re disappointed about it, these things happen.”

County chief executive Steven Ferguson insisted the Staggies had done everything by the book when they became concerned about “unplayable” areas around the goal mouth, the former gaffer saying: “With the torrential rain through the night, we phoned the SPFL first thing in the morning and the pitch inspection was set for 10 am.

“Two-thirds of the pitch was okay, but the goalmouths were unplayable. The referee came and did the pitch inspection. Hibs, having travelled up, were kept well aware and were here for the pitch inspection. There’s no more we could have done.

“We were here at 7 am and we contacted the SPFL first thing. We asked for a pitch inspection first thing in the morning. It was still dark. If they wanted to come at 7 am, they could have. It was the match referee (Iain Sneddon) who was sent to do it and he did so at 10 am.

“The pitch was very much unplayable by 10.30 am and the rain was forecast to continue for the next six or seven hours. It was the correct decision. Hibs had travelled up here the day before, so obviously they, like us, wanted every opportunity for the game to go ahead. But the pitch wasn’t playable.

“The SPFL gave us the time for the pitch inspection. The SPFL need to get in touch with the SFA who run the referees’ side and 10 am was the time we were given. But we had contacted them first thing in the morning to say there was a doubt about the pitch. There was very little else we could do. Listen, we’ve experienced it at Dundee and Livingston already this season. We know how it works and we follow the same process as everybody else.” County have donated the 300 meals prepared for corporate hospitality guests at today’s game to local charities.